As many of you may know, there are two bill passing through the U.S government right now. SOPA and PIPA, they plan to basically censor the internet, and their wording does not help their cause.

On January 18th at 8 A.M many websites such as Reddit, and Mozilla are going dark for the entire day in protest.

Sean, Mark, and Chris, I would hope that you participate in this protest to help ensure that this bill does not pass. The majority of Americans are against this bill, yet the bill still has the popular vote in Congress.

Quoting Matthew Novosad
As many of you may know, there are two bill passing through the U.S government right now. SOPA and PIPA, they plan to basically censor the internet, and their wording does not help their cause.

On January 18th at 8 A.M many websites such as Reddit, and Mozilla are going dark for the entire day in protest.

Sean, Mark, and Chris, I would hope that you participate in this protest to help ensure that this bill does not pass. The majority of Americans are against this bill, yet the bill still has the popular vote in Congress.

Quoting Matthew Novosad
As many of you may know, there are two bill passing through the U.S government right now. SOPA and PIPA, they plan to basically censor the internet, and their wording does not help their cause.

On January 18th at 8 A.M many websites such as Reddit, and Mozilla are going dark for the entire day in protest.

Sean, Mark, and Chris, I would hope that you participate in this protest to help ensure that this bill does not pass. The majority of Americans are against this bill, yet the bill still has the popular vote in Congress.

Quoting Cade .
I don't think that SOPA or PIPA will effect MOCPages, at all. But I could be wrong.

Besides, this bill doesn't have that great of a chance to pass since it is unconstitutional.

Quoting Fight for the Future's petion page
On Jan 24th, Congress will vote to pass internet censorship in the Senate, even though the vast majority of Americans are opposed. We need to kill the bill - PIPA in the Senate and SOPA in the House - to protect our rights to free speech, privacy, and prosperity. We need internet companies to follow Reddit's lead and stand up for the web, as we internet users are doing every day

Quoting Fight for the Future's petion page
On Jan 24th, Congress will vote to pass internet censorship in the Senate, even though the vast majority of Americans are opposed. We need to kill the bill - PIPA in the Senate and SOPA in the House - to protect our rights to free speech, privacy, and prosperity. We need internet companies to follow Reddit's lead and stand up for the web, as we internet users are doing every day

I am officially in love with the FCC. They fight for Net Nuetrality, and and Open Internet.

Anyone here ever hear about Comcast Vs. FCC in which the SUPREME COURT ruled in favor of Comcast.

Comcast blocked all of their users from using BitTorrent, which has LEGAL and ILLEGAL uses. But for some reason, the courts ruled in comcast's favors. Shows that this country is in it for the money, and not the people.Permalink

Quoting Cade .
Besides, this bill doesn't have that great of a chance to pass since it is unconstitutional.

You know that thing your government slipped through over New Year's? That little document that lets the military arrest and torture people without trial, which is bad because that kind of thing is only ever fine when it's being done to people from other countries, but it's okay because Obama promises never ever to do it?

Yeah.

There's a lot of things your country does which creatively and repeatedly violate your constitution. And that's when you're NOT overseas claiming to be protecting the "Free World" by oppressing people you don't like.Permalink

I am not sure if those Bills will affect MOCpages because, honestly, I don't see how a website with a heading that reads:
"Share your Lego creations"
will harm anyone. And also, I don't think anyone will get charges pressed because some kid wanted to build a home for Darth Vader or a ship to explore the Final Frontier. And if they did, they would need a court that could hold, a lot of people. It really wouldn't make any sense. I would add, though, that in the recent years, our government, the U.S. government, has lost that greatness that flourhsed 60 years ago. Instead of working on more importnat issues, such as education and the economy, and even the armed forces, the are just trash talking each other's party and creating scandals and ads that just show that America is downgrading. Hopefully, this won't affect MOCpages and Lego. Permalink

I'll answer all of you questions, but first. I have been a member of MocPages for about two years now (Pretty upstanding hone if I do say son MYSELF), and trust me this isn't drama, this is something That will actively affect us whether we realize it or not.

What do these bills do? Censor the Internet, stop use of any sort of thing that is copyrighted. You record a video for YT, your ringtone goes off. Whoops, looks like you can go to jail for five years (Don't believe me? Google Free Bieber).

Secondly, how does this affect mocpages? Say someone posts a moc and embeds related copyrighted music on the page. You watch it, you can go to jail. Once again, Google Free Beiber.

Would a new group really get the word out? This is Helping MocPages. This is where the moderation staff can be talked to all at once. This is the most effective group for this.

These bills will cripple the Internet, and MocPages is in the middle of it. As I said, this is a pertanint issue thstcan, and will quite possibly affect MP.
-Matt (aka Pharaoh Matsimela)

Edit: I decided to think this part out much more. Mr. Roach, as we know you make transformers. Since that is a copyrighted series, there is a fair chance that you COULD go to jail for use of "copyrighted" materials. (Please note that I am not a fan of copyright as it stands, but since it is a law and much of my future (AKA not failing HS for forgetting one inbody citation) I must follow its procedures.)Permalink

Quoting Matthew Novosad
I'll answer all of you questions, but first. I have been a member of MocPages for about two years now (Pretty upstanding hone if I do say son MYSELF), and trust me this isn't drama, this is something That will actively affect us whether we realize it or not.

What do these bills do? Censor the Internet, stop use of any sort of thing that is copyrighted. You record a video for YT, your ringtone goes off. Whoops, looks like you can go to jail for five years (Don't believe me? Google Free Bieber).

Secondly, how does this affect mocpages? Say someone posts a moc and embeds related copyrighted music on the page. You watch it, you can go to jail. Once again, Google Free Beiber.

Would a new group really get the word out? This is Helping MocPages. This is where the moderation staff can be talked to all at once. This is the most effective group for this.

These bills will cripple the Internet, and MocPages is in the middle of it. As I said, this is a pertanint issue thstcan, and will quite possibly affect MP.
-Matt (aka Pharaoh Matsimela)

No offence, but seriously is there even a question here? just reads like another rant about overt government intervention on censorship. I'm still not seeing anything Sean and co can actually HELP with.

As for embedding copyrighted material, well I've made my opinions very clear on that previously, I'd prefer it if we didn't embed music files PERIOD, as they don't add anything to the MOC itself. YT videos of the MOC being reviewed or used I can understand, Chris Roach does lots of these and they are a very good example of how the YT embedding was SUPPOSED to work here.

Besides, as has been pointed out already, this is a bill which hasn't even been passed yet. A lot of this panic is potentially over nothing.

I give up.... leaving this group, I think or maybe someone should make me a mod! Almost every topic has nothing to do with getting help with this site or building MOCs seems this has become MOCpages complaint and political agenda group instead clogging up everybodies' Today's activity section istead of notifying us of some cool MOCs we may like to check out. Permalink

Quoting Chris Roach
I give up.... leaving this group, I think or maybe someone should make me a mod! Almost every topic has nothing to do with getting help with this site or building MOCs seems this has become MOCpages complaint and political agenda group instead clogging up everybodies' Today's activity section istead of notifying us of some cool MOCs we may like to check out.

I agree Chris, in the last week i have seen countless entries into this group and only one person actually required "Help" . This is not a group for complaining, conversation or anything else other than needing help with something on this site.

And regarding this bill, not everybody that uses this site is from the US so if it does pass (very unlikely) it will hardly effect me.

Please use another means to push your message around. I've heard Facebook is good for that.Permalink

You're good at breaking down what i'm saying, but not very good a reading it. Your message is not really relevent here. MOCpages help is for people that need help with something on the site. Not for pushing political messages, or anything esle other than "HELP".Permalink